The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-11-25


in the end of the shed roof and leading
into Bucks little bedroom. where. on
many such summer nights. and often,
with the winter blasts bowling about
the little attic gable, Bucl, and l had
lain awake and talked in almost
whispered tones of what we should
do when we got to be men.
On this night with more than ordi-
nary alertness and caution put into our
movements by the almost tragedy that
we had together witnessed on the
river bank, we climbed like cats to the
shed roof from the one available coli
umn of the small porch in the kitchen-
end of the shed. Crawling stealthily
along in the shadow thrown from the
taller roof of the main building, by
a low red moon now peering between
black-crossed limbs of elm trees, we at
last reached the comb of the ell-roof,
and our peering heads were on level,
or even a little above level, with the
sill of Polly's open north bedroom
window.
Being in the lead. 1 was upon the
point of lifting my bare foot after the
shoes and stockings in my right hand,
and which had gone pioneering boldly
over the comb of the roof and down
upon that of the attic, when Buck
ever more vigilant and alert than 1.
ever more susceptible to correct pre-
monitions of danger or mystery than
PUT his strong hand upon my arm
with such grasp that came near
rolling down tie shed roof in the belief
that l had seen Old Bogus Leather
wood leaning menacingly out at Pol
ly's open north window. When we
were so far down the side of the gently
sloping roof as to be quite out of the
range of this. the only north window
in the house, Buck whispered:
"Did you see imp"
"Yes. What's he doin' there? Tryun
to ketch as. you reckon?" whispered
back in a fright that Buck did not par
ticipate in.
what do you mean? Who did yow
think it wasp he asked, trying to look
into my face.
"Why, Bogus-yur pap! 1t was him,
wasn't it?' l answered, steadying y
little and trying to recall the form and
semblance of the apparition at the
window. Buck balanced himself on
the palm of his left hand and turned
about SO rs to face to the west and
seating himself on the roof drew his
feet up and clasped his hands over his
knees with the shoes grasped in one of
them. This was a habit of his when
setting about the solution of some
mental problem involving correct de-
auctions from number of isolated
facts.
''Why, blame Mt, moo! Hit wasn't
the ole man, nur any whurs n-yur i'm.
Let's have another look ut the winder.
They shorely haint' put none than
fellers into Polly's room, You reckon"
didn't know. They might put that
blame teller Martin, in there, mebby!
Buck looked at me, with grin.
"Now. don't poke yur head more'n
| cench above the comb-thcss fur
enough to git yur left eye above ut.
Jim, un en- Keep ut peeled. I'm don't
git SO dod-burned sk-yurt, nuther-
less you wawnt to roll offun the ruff"
With this admonition from my ac-
knowledged leader in all things. phys
ical and concrete, and my follower
in all things metaphysical and abstract.
crept by his side very cautiously and
slowly to the comb of the roof. and
getting my left eye above it, looked in
at the window.
Thore were to us strange CLEANS of
light flashing in and out of the room,
appearing now on dark wall; now
sliding swiftly up and down; now rest
ing moment upon the very bureau
in the upper drawer of which lay the
splendidly jeweled pistol that we had
seen once at our deadly peril. Pres
emily the light was gone and the figure
of a stout man appeared in the win
dow. He held something in his left
hand. and the diffused moonlight was
sufficiently strong upon him for Buck.
if it was not for me. As the man turned
into the room again after looking out,
Buck seized my arm, drew me back 4
little way, and not waiting to turn
round this time upon his left palm, he
whispered:
'.Now whut in the jeemuny crimuny
do you sposc he's do-un in there? Less
git up closter un watch im."
"Who is ut. Buck? Did You see i'm
plain enough to tell who it WASP" 1
ask. without pausing in our silent
scramble to the window.
"Ycs. Hits the fiddler-that Teller
as the judge called Herkimer Smith,
relse never sot eyes on the Teller en-
my life. by gunw Back whispered
back. '.Ef he's a stealun any theng,
you keep right with me un we'll up in
right there"
Relying implicitly on Bucks we'll
known courage and accurate judgment
as well as his great strength. l did as
he directed. and in an instant we were
at the window sill looking in.
With throb at my heart and a full
ness in my throat that made me gulp
down a huge swallow of empty air l
saw to the left of the window POlly's
bed with Polly lying soundly sleeping
with her black hair lying loose over
one bare round arm and the light
white Counterpart draped about her
shapely figure. In the opposite cor
ner of the room her mother lay heavily